Freeport creeps into NIC-10 title picture, with Deion McShane leading charge

Jay Taft Staff writer @jaytaft

Wednesday

May 9, 2018 at 10:39 PMMay 9, 2018 at 10:56 PM

FREEPORT — Longtime Freeport track and field head coach Alan Greene insists that the last time Freeport hosted the NIC-10 boys track and field meet was the last time the Pretzels won the title.

The record books reveal that was in 2005, and Greene, in his 33rd year at the helm, is right: that was the last Freeport boys track and field conference championship. Now the Pretzels host the conference track meet again on Thursday, and lo and behold Freeport has crept into title contention once again.

Having the state’s best hurdler, and a guy who medaled in four events at state last year, sure can do that for a team.

“For one thing, Freeport has Deion McShane, and that’s just a huge lift right there,” Belvidere North’s head coach Troy Yunk said. “And they just need enough to fill in around him, and they could do this.”

It’s been Hononegah’s crown for the past four years, and the Indians won the indoor conference meet handily, with Freeport placing fifth behind Belvidere North, Harlem and East. But the Pretzels were shorthanded that day, and they’ve shown over the course of this season that they are a force to be reckoned with.

“We are going to have to have guys step up in every event, but we’ve got a shot,” Greene said. “We’ve got to perform, that’s the bottom line. Just like any team out there, you hope you have a good day and you do what you’re capable of, and then see where that puts you.

“We could get one here; but so could Hononegah, Belvidere North, Harlem. It’s out there.”

The Pretzels are powered by McShane, who has won three state championships, has finished second at state three times and owns the IHSA all-class state record in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles with his 36.53 seconds in the state finals in 2017. Last year he also had two seconds and a fifth, and led Freeport to a tie for the Class 2A state title.

This year, they’re hoping that translates to the conference. They only placed third at the outdoor NIC-10 meet last year.

And while Freeport lost its state-placing thrower from last year, Jered Allison, it has added to its arsenal this year at the same time. Jaden Johnson is seeded No. 2 right behind McShane in both hurdling events for the NIC-10 meet, and vaulter Collin Heidenreich holds the top seed with a 13-foot-7 clearance in the pole vault.

“Deion’s ready; he can always be counted on,” Greene said of McShane, who is tied with Donna Cargill, the sprinter from East back in the early 1990s, for the most state medals for a NIC-10 track and field athlete at eight. “And to be honest, everybody’s kind of excited for this one. The whole conference is kind of excited. The last couple of years there’s just been no way to catch them (Hononegah), and now there’s a race.”

Hononegah, led by middle distance runner Tyler Wilson and Belvidere North, led by Cruz Garza (No. 1 seed in the discus at 155-6) and Sebastian Gutierrez (top seed in the high jump and right behind McShane in the long jump) are sure to be in the mix. And Harlem thrower Jake McKenna will also try to lead a Huskie charge to the top as well. The action kicks off with field events at 4 p.m. and running finals will begin at 6 p.m.

Jay Taft: 815-987-1384; jtaft@rrstar.com; @JayTaft

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